Bucket-chain.



E. A. MURRAY. BUCKET CHAIN.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1911.

1,005,282. Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

IN VENTOR.

ATTOIHVE Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLSWORTH A. MURRAY,

OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BUCKET-CHAIN.

ooaasa.

To all whom 225 may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLSWORTH A. MUR- RAY, citizen of the United States,residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Bucket-Chains, of which the following is a full,clear and exact description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention has relation to improve .ments in bucket-chains for waterelevators and purifiers; and it consists in the novel construction ofchain more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in theclaims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a section of abucket-chain, and sprocket wheel for actuating the same; Fig. 2 is afront view of the chain and edge view of the sprocket; Fig. 3 is a rearview of a descending bucket; Fig. 4 is an end view, partly broken away;Fig. 5 is a face view of two links coupled together; Fig. 6 is an edgeview of Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a cross-section (enlarged) on the line 77 ofFig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a similar section with the links at right anglesto one another, showing position for coupling or uncoupling the same.

The object of my invention is to construct abucket-chain for waterelevators, the same being composed of a series of readily separablesections, each section comprising a bucket with its complement of chainlinks, the several links being so constructed as to produce when coupledtogether, a chain of uniform width throughout.

A further objectis to construct the links in such manner as to permittheir attachment to the buckets without the use of solder, clips orother extraneous devices, the connection being made herein directlybetween the bucket wall and the sides of the links.

The invention presents further and other advantages better apparent froma detailed description thereof, which is as follows Referring to thedrawings, 1 represents a sheet metal cup or bucket of conventional shapeand design, the same being composed of sections of metal bent to therequired shape, the edges of the sections being doubled and interlockedand properly seamed at the joints. In the bucket here shown the seamingis preferably on the sides of the back wall (Figs. 3, 4). A portion ofthis seam is formed as stated, by doubling the edges of the respectivesheets and inter- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 6, 1911.

locking the same, thus forming a seam a of Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Serial No. 606,953.

four thicknesses of metal. At the lower end of the seam a, the engagingportions of the sheets are left projecting beyond the back wall of thebucket in the shape of a flange or wing b, a V-shaped notch n being cutin the sheets to make this possible, after which the flange b is foldedover and pressed into firm contact with the sides of the U-shaped linkL, (for convenience termed the bucketlink). The arms of the linkterminate in open loops 2 bent in a plane at right angles to the generalplane of disposition of the link, the loops being connected to the mainbody of the link by offsets or shoulders 3 inclining inwardly so as tomake an obtuse angle with the side members of the link. The offsets arehowever, maintained in the general plane of disposition of the link, soto engage the bucket wall when the link is secured to the bucket.

In applying the link to the bucket for purposes of attaching the same,the sides of the link are placed against the inner faces of the wings 5(right hand side Fig. 3) the link being pushed inward or toward the openend of the bucket until the offsets 3 strike the inner ends of the seamsa, a, said seam ends arresting further movement in that direction andthus serving as abutments for the offsets 3. Then the wings b are foldedover the sides of the link, the inner ends of the wings thus foldedcoming (by reason of the V-shape cut or notch 77.) in engagement withthe opposite sides of the offsets 3, and serving as abutments therefor,thereby arresting any movement or shifting of the links in the oppositedirection. It follows therefore that the offsets or shoulders 3, whenthe link L is in place on the bucket, are engaged by an abutment orridge on either side, making it impossible for a link to slip away fromits bucket. The clenching of the flanges b moreover about the sides ofthe link insures a frictional hold on the latter so that a rigidconnection is the result. The links are so proportioned as to bring thebases or cross-members thereof, a short distance beyond the bottoms ofthe buckets, to permit the engagement of this member with the propertooth of the sprocket-wheel W by which the bucket-chain is rotated oradvanced.

No claim is made for the wheel W, but obviously the peripheral formationthereof should be such as to engage the several links of the series, andallow the backs of the buckets to be properly supported as they arecarried around the wheel. The loops 2 of the bucket link L are passedover the base or cross-member of the link L which for convenience willbe referred to as the sprocket-link, this link being a sprocket-linkpure and simple as no bucket is attached thereto. Once the link L ispassed behind the loops 2, the ends of the loops are bent toward thebody of the link L to prevent the link L from dropping out, theconnection I between the link L of any bucket and its immediate sprocketlink L being a permanent one, a bucket and two (or more if necessary)links being considered as a section of the chain. These sections aremade separable or detachable from one another for any purpose, as forexample for purpose of packing or shipping the chain, for lengthening orshortening the same, for repairing, and the like; and while readilydetachable from one another, the several sections remain linked while inservice, and

While passing around the wheel W. This is made possible by reason of thefollowing construction The link L is on the order of the link L, exceptthat it is coupled to the link L with its terminal loops 2 turned in theopposite direction to the loops 2; that is to say, the loop 2 is turnedfrom the bucket, whereas the loop 2 is turned toward the bucket. Theends of the loops 2 are spaced from a plane tangent to the adjacent sideof the body of the link L a distance slightly less than the diameter ofthe crosssection of the wire of which the link is constructed, (Figs. 6,7). On the other hand, the curvatures of the corners c of the link L(Fig. 8) are such that when said link is held at right angles to theplane of the link L, the peripheral points of contact between the sidesof the link L, and said corners are below the tangent plane referred to,so that the cross-member of the link L is brought sufficiently away fromthe free ends of the loops 2 to clear them, permitting said link L to bepassed behind the loops 2. l/Vhen the links L, L, straighten out however(Fig. 1), or assume the proper angle to pass over the sprocket IV, thecurvature of the corners o is no longer available to permit the base ofthe link L to drop below the tangent plane, the cross-member of the linkL resting on the shoulders 3 (the space between which will not permit ofthe drop referred to) which lift the cross-member of the link L the fulldepth of the diameter of the cross-section of the wire above the tangentplane aforesaid (Figs. 6, 7 so that the link L can not now pass throughthe space between the free ends of the loops 2 and the main body of thelink L. The effect of placing the links into parellelism or to an anglesuch as they assume in passing around the sprocket W, is to cause theirsuperposition to the full depth of the diameter of the cross-section ofthe wire, and hence prevent the slipping of the link past the loops 2.Should it be desirable however, to uncouple one chain section fromanother, the link L of one section is swung at right angles to thebucket link L of an adjacent section (dotted position Fig. 1, and Fig.8) when the cross-member of the link L will drop into the space betweenthe sides of the link L sufiiciently to pass the loops 2 and thus beuncoupled. The shoulders 3 serve as a means for permitting theconnection described between a bucket-link L and the bucket; theshoulders 3 of the links L serve to support the cross-members of thelinks L and maintain them on one side of the plane tangent to theadjacent face of the link L so that said cross members can not pass bythe loops 2, except when the link L is swung at right angles to saidplane or to the link L.

The offsets or shoulders 3, 3, converging inwardly as they do, to anextent represented by the thickness of the wire, it follows that whenthe several links are assembled, the chain will be of uniform widththroughout.

Having described my invention, What I claim is 1. In combination with aU-shaped link having parallel side members provided with inwardlydeflected shoulders, a bucket having a back wall provided withformations abutting against one side of each shoulder, and withformations abutting against the opposite sides of the shoulders, wherebyshifting of the link along the bucket wall is prevented.

2. In combination with a bucket composed of sheet metal and having aback seamed to the sides of the bucket, said seams extending a suitabledistance along the sides of the back, wings severed from the seamedsections and extending over the balance of the side portions of theback, a U-shaped link having parallel side arms engaging the inner sidesof the wings, the latter being folded over said arms, offsets orshoulders leading from said arms and engaged on one side by the innerends of the folded wings, and on the opposite side by the inner ends ofthe seamed portions of the bucket-walls whereby the link is secured tothe bucket.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ELLSVVORTH A. MURRAY.

Witnesses EMIL STAREK, A. W. POWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

